2019 Rugby World Cup Repechage: Hong Kong captain bemoans failure to ‘do what was needed’ in loss to Germany
- Hong Kong have no answer for Germany’s staunch defence and lose a kicking game in Marseilles
- Hong Kong play Kenya next on November 17 in a must-win match in the repechage
While the dream is not necessarily over, it is now on life support when it comes to Hong Kong’s 2019 Rugby World Cup hopes.
A tight and well organised German squad, led by English coach Mike Ford, beat Hong Kong 26-9 in the first game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup Repechage on Sunday afternoon in Stade Delort in Marseilles, France.
Germany, ranked 29th, upset Hong Kong, 21st, relying on stingy defence and two timely tries in the second half as Hong Kong failed to rise to the occasion.
“I am obviously really disappointed,” captain Jamie Cunningham said. “We played some good rugby but when it mattered we didn’t complete. We had a couple of knock-ons at crucial times, we gave away too many penalties and that was all that Germany needed.
“We can’t keep dwelling on this game. We have to work hard for the next two games and see what happens with the other results.
“There were some really positive things that came out of the game and I’m really proud of the boys, but when push came to shove we just didn’t do what we needed to do to win.”
